A source close to the ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi stated that Baghdadi has promoted one of his ISIS female fighters, Nada al-Qahtani, as the new battalion commander for an all female fighting unit in Hasakeh, Syria. Nada al-Qahtani recently lead the Khansa battalion in ISIS’ de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria.

The source went on to state that Baghdadi met with al-Qahtani twice with other ISIS leaders to discuss her new role in the ISIS organization and noted that she is viewed as one who has

“strong character” and “is now present in Hasakah… and she plays a prominent role on the level of communicating with foreign fighters.”

al-Qahtani will also serve as chief recruiter of women and young girls for ISIS and her battalion.

Nicknamed “Sister Julaybib” in the ISIS organization, al-Qahtani vowed her allegiance to Baghdadi (and ISIS) in 2013. Taking to social media, al-Qahtani revealed through tweets that her main mission in life was to be a suicide bomber and further went on to implore women to persuade their husbands and sons to join the ISIS movement.

Her move to this battalion Hasakeh also means that the ISIS female fighters will now be active participants on the front lines in a combat role instead of patrolling the streets in a law enforcement capacity that they once performed.

With ISIS feeling the pressure on all fronts from the United States and her allies, it was only a matter of time before ISIS put its all of its women fighters out front in Baghdadi’s caliphate; a sure sign of desperation by Baghdadi who remains in hiding.

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